An Apple a Day...............

We have glorious apple orchards here in Minnesota! And so many are close to the Twin Cities you can make a day of it. Minnesota is known for it's HONEYCRISP, HARALSON and SWEET TANGO varieties and once you try them you will understand why they are favorites.

My Daughter -in -law Holly,  wanted her Mom and Step dad from Florida to experience our apple orchards so we all headed to Minnesota Harvest in Jordan.

 The place was busy! First we tried some wines, then apple cider. They also have baked items to buy inside.  They charge you $5 a car to enter the property then you buy an 11 # peck bag for $20 and fill it up with your favorite apples.  You hop aboard a wagon being pulled by a tractor and away you go. The air is sweet!  We had our bag filled in no time and enjoyed the ride around the orchar d. They have goats and a sunflower maze. Something for all ages and great adventure for families. Such a fun place!

You can't go all the way to Jordan without stopping at the Yellow Candy Barn - Minnesota's Largest Candy Store. Middle of September. and the parking lot was packed! Nick was a "kid in a candy store"

If you are looking for a great Apple bread recipe this one is one of my favorites and any type apple works well in the recipe. I like quick bread recipes without oil. The sour cream makes this so moist. My favorite baking apple is Haralson and I just happened to have some :)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

2 t. Vanilla

2 Cups Flour

2 t. Baking Powder

1/2 t  Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

1 1/2 cup apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Spray Pam in loaf pan

Beat together wet ingredients then mix in dry

Fold in apples and nuts

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 60  minutes

Test with toothpick to see if done. 

May need to bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Let sit in pan for 10 minutes then cool on rake.

Enjoy :)

This Wine is Making Me Awesome!

Anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy a nice Cabernet. I'm not picky - they are all nice. Whether I'm cooking and sipping, eating at the Legion or a fancy restaurant, up at our friends cabin, red wine is my drink of choice. I had to learn to like it. My Husband and I had gone to Napa  Valley and Sonoma to explore vineyards and at that time I just enjoyed white wine. I told myself I wasn't leaving until I learned to like red wine. I was lucky - it only took me 3 minutes to fall in love with a Syrah . I drank my way thru every vineyard we visted with a Syrah. It didn't take me long to move into Cabernet. But then I love to switch things up with good Chardonnay. Oh and I can't forget a Pinot Noir or Merlot. And Sangria - my favorite of all ! You get the picture :) I'm known for my Sangria and I'll share a couple recipes later :)

So now that we are retired  we are working our way thru our Minnesota Destination lists and visting Wineries and Vineyards was our #1 must see.  The Winery business in Minnesota has BOOMED! I'm not sure how many vineyards and wineries we have but I was told it's over 40 wineries and 600 vineyards!. Our growing season is short, from May to September and grapes here are cold hardy. In fact I had no idea there was an International Cold Climate Wine Competition.  Which  loads of our wineries have won top awards. The University of Minnesota is known world wide for their expertise in cold hardy varieties of grapes and has a hand in many of the vineyards here in Minnesota.   There are Vineyard signs everywhere  in the state and we just never had the right time to visit.

Being retired has become the right time for us. We went  vineyard hopping and visited 3 wineries in a day and were pleasantly surprised at how busy they all were. Things was it was all retired people like us ha!

First one we went to was Crow River Winery in Hutchinson, MN. It has a big sign on the road and is advertised as  sitting on the edge of the Minnesota prairie.  I first wanted to see the actual grapes growing so we walked and were amazed at all the rows of assorted grapes.

                                                        

                                                                    They all had protective netting on them to keep the birds from eating them. Also we were hearing all these birds and couldn't figure out where they were coming from as we saw none. They had speakers ramdomly on posts with assorted bird calls - I'm assuming to keep birds away too.

We went inside their tasting room which was my favorite of the three we went to. Long bar counter in an elegant setting, We each ordered a different flight. I ordered the Minnesota Flight - 5 tastes of wines from these vineyards. My husband ordered a West Coast flight. It was only $5 for the tastings. I enjoyed all of the wines but really liked 2 so bought bottles of each, the Brianna 2015 - a light sweet white  and Marquette 2014 a lovely  dry red.  They have brunch on Sundays which would be fun to try. They also have a large event room which is perfect for weddings or whatever special event you may have. We enjoyed this very much and look forward to returning.

The 2nd Winery we visited was  Sovereign Estate Winery on the north end of Lake Waconia. I thought the grounds to this one was my favorite of the three. It's located across the street from Lake Waconia. Their tasting room is smaller but the patio and setting is beautiful. We ordered a full glass of wine. I asked for their best seller which was a white wine called Talon Crest. My husband had a Syrah. We walked the grounds which were just beautiful. They had a barn with horses and a chicken coup, a lovely garden and the vineyard was open - no netting on the wines. They had a pole with a nest of some bird which I think was put there on purpose to keep other birds away. We strolled and enjoyed both wines and would love to return another time. Wine stomps are coming up in the next couple of weeks at all the wineries we visited. That would be fun to see~!

The last winery we vistied was Parley Lake also close to Lake Waconia - down some winding back roads. The drive there was gorgeous. The wine tasting room is in an old old barn.  We got to taste 3 different wines for $5. The ambiance is wonderful - Minnesota style. The grapes used in these wines are University of Minnesota grape varieties. They also had horses and lots of metal sculptures dotting the outside around the tables for people to sit and enjoy their wines. Loads of people coming in while we were here.  We got to keep our souvenir wine glasses! This one was the busiest. 

Each winery has their own personality and I can't believe how much I learned  about Minnesota wines just visiting these 3. It was a really fun day. We met wonderful people, tasted interesting and delicious wine and learned about cold weather grapes. 3 Down  - 37 to go. Wine makes everything better :)

                                  

Proud Minnesotan - You Betcha!

I'm a Minnesota Girl! Born and raised here, married a Minnesota guy and raised two boys here. I went to college across the border in Wisconsin and lived in Colorado for a year after college but after that I moved back home. Minnesota is my home and there is no more beautiful state.

In 4rth grade we sang a song about Minnesota that went like this,

" They took 10,000 lakes and some rich green land
   And threw in some hills that they had on hand
   And made it a paradise but twice as grand
   And named it Minnesota".

Minnesota IS paradise and it embodies the best of all 4 seasons. And we relish every single one of them. They are all glorious and spectacular. But for us Minnesotans it  all starts with weather.

We are obsessed with the weather!  We need to know what the weather is 49 times a day. And our local TV stations  spend 10 minutes of the 30 minute news telling us what's going to happen, what did happen,  what might happen, where it happened before it will happen to us,  where it's happening after it happens to us,  and how to prepare for all these weather happenings. I get more juiced up listening to the weather report than I do the news! I love me a good blizzard! I get all twitchy and excited over a severe thunderstorm. I am outside watching the green skies and waiting for the wind to come.  With blizzards the nesting instincts kick in. I've got to go to the store and buy 49 times more food, toilet paper and wine  than you will ever need or use in 10 years. (  God forbid there's a blizzard and you are out of wine - you might be holed up say for 2 days!)

Every time they predict major snow, I'm out with everyone else  before "It hits!" buying all the mentioned essentials plus some candy, gotta have candy too. Oh and popcorn  and Doritos and peanut butter in case the power goes out.   This drives my husband nuts. We've been stuck in 20" of snow shoveling out the tires in 40 MPH winds  because we didn't have enough breakfast cereal. Four boxes wasn't enough.  We've shoveled other cars out of the snow who like us needed more of something they had 10 of at home. We are kindred spirits! And when the kids were younger we bought games and books  and new action figures- and flashlight batteries - lots of flashlight batteries in case the power went out.  Because we have 49 flashlights and they ALL have to work in case we need them.  This is a major event! I'd come home after spending hundreds of dollars on all the essentials and would be downright mad if the storms passed over or fizzled out. I felt cheated!  How dare the skies do this! And then a couple weeks later when bad weather was predicted again I'd go out again and stock up forgetting I still had my stash from the last storm - except the wine was gone hehe. We have enough toilet paper for 49 years of storms! (I like the number 49 )

 Oh and when they predict 30 below windchill that's when it's really fun! You can't run 10 feet to your mailbox without your nostrils freezing!   You almost run while holding your breath. You have to work yourself into it. You warm up your car for 10 minutes before you drive it. You've never seen a dog pee so fast. Your furnace never stops running. And God forbid it does stop as in it's broken. Because you are waiting days before a technician gets to your house. See why the wine comes in handy :) When the temps hit 20 below that's when school closes here.  But this kind of cold never lasts too long. We are very proud of how hardy the cold makes us.  We are still in shorts until it hits 35 degrees. And you can't forget the polar plunges all across the state. Seemingly sane people jumping into frozen lakes.  And alot of babies are born in August, September and October. That's when mine were born.

One perk about the cold is my garage becomes a freezer. I never have to put groceries away. Just carry them into the garage and they are good until spring thaw. I once bought 2 frozen turkeys on sale after Thanksgiving and left them in the garage all winter. Forgot I had them because they were surrounded by 49 frozen pizzas. I realized they were thawing  in April and cooked up two 22 pound birds. We had turkey oh man did we have turkey. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. So I've learned my lesson on sale turkeys and sale pizzas and using my garage as a freezer. What's sad is I have 2 freezers and  both were  full - you know,  with storm provisions!

 There is nothing more soothing than sitting by a peaceful fire hearing the wind howl and snow blow sideways with my glass of wine listening to my kids fight over the new games and action figures. Having them shine the flashlights into our eyes and blind us in the dark when the power went out in a thunderstorm. Listening to my 90 pound dog cry  and shiver under the bed upstairs at every bolt of lightening and thunder. I's have to lay on the floor with him and cover us entirely with a blanket. The only way I could calm him down. And what is funniest -  we'd watch  the weather on our TV while it's going on outside! ! You know in case it changed! In case it got worse!  In case we miss something! You can never have too much weather!  Fighting, flashlights, scared dogs. Weather inside - weather outside. Oh what entertainment! And it's free! Well kind of ;)

We've lost power in the summer and decided we needed a generator. Finding a generator after a storm hits is impossible but we got the last one somewhere.  Mind you it had a dent - was off in some store corner ready to be returned to the manufacturer but we got a deal and  it does the job! We had neighbors from 3 houses use extention cords so they wouldn't loose food in their freezers. I had ours hooked up to the one freezer we had at the time and a coffee pot. A girl has her priorities.

We help each other with snow removal whether it's a neighbor who doesn't have  snowblower or a car stuck in the ditch. We all travel with shovels in the trunk. But tornados are the worst. And we all take them seriously. I poke fun on getting ready for this weather but I've never seen a twister up close and I pray I never do.  So I give to the Red Cross because they are the first responders to families who have been devastated by these monsters. And I can only imagine what's its like to loose everything.

 But out of all this crazy I have sons who were never afraid of storms as kids. We told them every loud clap of thunder was God bowling in the heavens and getting a strike. They embraced the gray skies with wonder and couldn't wait to get all geared up and romp in the  49" of snow that was left after a good winter storm. They know how to be over prepared! We made it an adventure and it still is to this day.

I have watched the movie Twister a gazillion times and still get a weather rush.  Sirius radio used to have a channel with Minneapolis weather. I'd listen to that all the time in the car. But now it's gone. What's up with that! We talk about the weather in every conversation.  It's what starts our day and we go to bed knowing what weather tomorrow brings.

Yes we Minnesotans do love our weather.  Even our beloved musicians use weather for inspiration. Think Purple Rain.  I love our Minnesota weather and  will always look forward to tomorrow's forecast. It's my daily adventure ;)

Yeeeehawww! We have retired! We've waited for, saved,  planned and dreamed of this for years. And we are young! Both my husband and I are not even 60 yet...close but not quite. :) And we can't wait to start this new chapter. We are on our time! To do whatever we want whenever we want. Our own schedule finally!

    First thing everyone asks you when they hear the news is, "What are you going to do?". Won't you be bored? Won't you miss the kids?  How will you fill your day? I am busting loose and I can hardly contain myself!

Where to start...... all I can say is FREEDOM!

 After being a home daycare provider for 23 years I am not stuck in my house all day anymore! This deserves another Yeehaw! I can go for morning walks without making sure diapers are changed, a first aid kit is supplied and packed, sunscreen and bugspray applied on every kid and bathroom use was done prior. I can walk at a brisk pace without starting and stopping to check out every rock, leaf, pinecone and puppy :)  

I can go thrifting and to estate sales during the day and week  instead of in the evening and on weekends. ( Thrifting is a favorite hobby as you will see in future posts) I will find the first treasures instead of the leftovers.

I am NOT going to clean my house! Well I am,  but on my schedule. I've picked up, dusted  and vacummed almost everyday so when my families came my home was  organized and ready for a new day. My dishes were washed and my floors swept and bathrooms wiped up. To not have to think about this everyday is HUGE ha!

I can go out to lunch! I LOVE lunch! I really really love lunch! Maybe because I could never go. I am so excited for this more than anything! And I won't have to cook lunch if I don't want to.( Cause who can eat out all the time .).  Every day for 23 years I've cooked a hot lunch for my kids.  48 weeks x 5 days = 240 lunches a year x 23 years = 5520 hot lunches approx. Holy Moly! That's a boat load of cooking, meal planning and food purchasing. I used to have a milk man when my boys were home too - added to all these kids, we were running to buy milk everyday so a milk man came in handy.  Not anymore. Grocery shopping once a week - not everyday :)

And finally, I can stay up late! Another Yeeehaww! This is huge! I can read a book as long as I want, watch a tv show or a movie late into the night and not worry about getting to bed so I'm not tired the next day. I can take NAPS! 

I get to do so much! I can work a puzzle on a table and not worry about little hands messing it up. I can plant flowers in places that used to get whacked with balls and stomped by little feet. I get to grow my apples on my apple tree. Kids always pulled off the baby apples on the lower branches. I can have a wastebasket in my bathrooms now! State daycare guidelines don't want any type garbage accessible to kids.  I get  2 more cupboards in my kitchen minus all the crafts, games and puzzles, sippy cups and plastic plates. I get more room in all my bedrooms when I take out all the port-a-cribs. 

I will miss all my kids. I've loved up way over 100 wee ones. My first daycare baby graduated college this year and it's exciting to see where all these children end up in life. My goal was for every child to feel special and cherished  in my home. And I think I accomplished that. I truly loved every child that came through my doors! But I have my own grandkids coming into my near future and we can barely contain ourselves. We retired at the right time!

So here's to being young and healthy ( knock on wood),  free to do whatever whenever , being spontaneous and adventurous and spending all my time with my best friend Husband John and pursuing new interests. This deserves the BIGGEST YEEEEEEHAAAWWWW!